Abstract

SOUSA UVA, António de. Some annotations about Occupational Health and Safety in Portugal. Med. segur. trab. [online]. 2009, vol.55, n.214, pp.12-25. ISSN 1989-7790.

In the present work, the author analyzes several aspects of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in Portugal. He provides evidence sustaining the assumption of an important progress, since the mid-nineties, in the improvement of the working conditions from an OHS perspective. Nevertheless, several problems still remain in the practical application of legal regulations. In addition, despite of these improvements, the frequency rates of working accidents and occupational diseases remain very high. Hence, more "aggressive" strategies are required to increase the awareness of the Portuguese society relative to the OHS public policies, whose effectiveness has been demonstrated either in terms of occupational risks prevention and workers health promotion. The protection of workers' health and safety at the workplace must then be assumed as an activity of indisputable utility by all stakeholders. The political agenda must thus promote even more the promotion of healthy and safe workplaces. As a consequence, there would be also a higher development of individual aspects, and not only environmental data, in the national strategy of occupational health and safety.

Keywords : Portugal; Occupational Health and Safety; Occupational Accidents; Occupational Diseases.

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